


two dogs in winter

by wokeboke



Category: Housepets!
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, M/M, ambiguous fungo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:21:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25941271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wokeboke/pseuds/wokeboke
Summary: Fox contends with his feelings about seeing Fido and Sabrina together at Sabrina's Christmas party. Mungo helps him out.Set after the final strip of 'Real Stories of the K9PD'.
Relationships: Fox Lindberg & Mungo (Housepets!)
Kudos: 10





	two dogs in winter

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the OUHP discord server fanfiction contest.

The night was still young, but Fox’s patience was not.

He sat on the D’Angelo porch, footpads resting in the snow and a glum eye out towards the thickening dusk. The sounds of plates clinking and festive chatter rang, muted, through the closed door behind him. A lonely red bauble lay forlornly in the snow before him, as if to remind him that it was a time for celebration and love, not…whatever internal hot mess of things he had to contend with after seeing their gracious feline host make out heavily with his former canine idol.

Doggone it, even after laying bare most of his feelings in the heat of the moment with Sabrina, he still felt a twinge of discomfort, a faint sense of unease upon seeing a _kiss._ Or a hug, or a little tender glance, always between Sabrina and Fido. A cat and a dog. Come on! He was better than this.

A sigh escaped his chest, against his will. What happened to all the warm fuzzies from earlier, ignited by a visit and a hug from his old partner and then stoked by the pawprint-signed letter from heaven? Literally, from the two huskies that had taken a liking to the muscular Fox during his visit to heaven.

Gone, gone, gone, replaced by the familiar turmoil in his metaphorical gut, roiling around in there like a bad bowl of kibble. He reached down absentmindedly for the bauble, turning it over in his paws a few times before hanging it from the porch railing with the rest of its kin. No one deserved to be lonely on Christmas, not even an inanimate object with no concept of the word ‘loneliness’.

Fido and Sabrina were _happy_ together. Fox wasn’t either of those things—happy _or_ together with someone. He pushed a paw on his bare chest, trying to uncoil some of the tight emotions that were currently snaking their way around his heart.

He let out another sigh into the brisk night air. Maybe a walk would do him some good, he thought. Mungo would wonder where he’d gone, but the hound was more suited to large gatherings like this than he was. His old partner would be perfectly fine having a good time with the rest of the pets and owners there.

His bomber jacket was still hanging up inside, but at least he had his scarf for warmth, which he wrapped around his neck a few more times before standing up, paws clasped behind his back. But before he could set off, a creak in the door sounded behind him, the sounds of the party becoming clearer for a second. He looked around, hoping that it was—

“Mungo?”

“Fox!” The large hound stepped out from the doorway, closing the door behind him. “Been looking everywhere for you! Wait,” his tail drooped as he caught sight of Fox’s scarf, “are you leaving? Is everything alright?”

The furrowed eyebrows, the no-longer-wagging tail…Mungo made him feel wanted. “Uh, just…going for a walk. It’s a little…” He thought back to seeing the kiss and he felt his ears warm involuntarily. “Stuffy. In there.”

“Oh! I get what you mean, I was hanging around Fido ‘till he started paying attention to his girlfriend, then it just got awkward. Anyways, can I come with?”

And who was Fox to say no to those perky ears and hopeful expression? He nodded, despite Mungo touching upon the very subject he’d hoped to avoid by coming out here.

“Okay, I’ll get my scarf and be back before you know it!” He gave a thumbs-up, which Fox weakly returned, and carefully opened the door, probably trying to not rip it clean off the hinges again, disappearing inside. Moments later, he reappeared, wearing his blue scarf and mittens and carrying a familiar jacket in his paws. He closed the door behind him, almost cautiously, and bounded down the steps.

“Here, partner, got this for you so you don’t freeze,” Mungo said, muzzle curled in a warm smile. Fox accepted the jacket but found he had a hard time returning the smile.

“Thanks, partner. Aren’t we—?”

“Shh.” His partner gave him a wink. “Just for one more night.”

And he _did_ have to admit…it felt good, even if this wasn’t exactly the kind of partner he wanted. “Yeah, okay,” he agreed, and dug his paws comfortably into the pockets of his jacket. “Shall we?”

“Lead the way, partner,” Mungo said, and off they went.

It was cold, but more of a gentle, romantic cold rather than a bleak, claw-biting cold. Snow drifted lightly down from the sky, slow and fluffy like the warm touch of a paw. The neighbourhood streets that Fox knew so well in the day suddenly looked long and desolate, each streetlamp like a momentary sanctuary from the dark. Everyone would be inside with friends and family at this hour, and he was braving this world alone.

Well, not alone. The periodic bumps against his left shoulder reminded him well of the hulk of a hound beside him, looking content as ever. They hadn’t said a word to each other since leaving the party, yet the silence between them felt…strangely nice. Not awkward or cringe-till-my-fur-stands-on-end at all.

Too late, he realized he was staring as Mungo caught his eye bemusedly. Expecting some sort of tease, he hunched his shoulders up like he was weathering the cold and hastily shifted his gaze to the sidewalk.

“You know, I’m glad you answered the door earlier today,” Mungo said instead. Or maybe teasing Fox was never on his mind; Mungo was kind-hearted that way. “And that you came out tonight. And that I caught you at the door!”

Slowly, his tensed-up frame began to loosen back up as warmth pricked at his belly. “I’m pretty glad you’re here, too,” he admitted. “It’s nice to have someone to hang with.”

Mungo beamed at him. “Yeah, I’ve been meaning to spend more time with you, you know, off the job. Even if we’re not partners anymore, we can still—hold on, is that…” They stopped abruptly in the lit vicinity of a streetlamp, Mungo’s paw on Fox’s shoulder. Fox followed the hound’s squinty gaze directly forward to the next streetlamp, where a lone figure was passing through. Short, so most likely a pet, Fox deduced. A green hat and scarf was visible from this distance, which gave him an idea of who it could be, but why would he be out and about at this time of night?

“Should we keep moving?” Fox murmured. “Or…”

“I want to get a look at who it is,” Mungo whispered. “Let’s wait it out.”

While the streetlamps provided plenty of light, the space in between them was much lacking. If the pet approaching was who Fox thought it was, then there… _shouldn’t_ be a problem. All the same, they were two trained police dogs. They could handle trouble when it came to them.

They waited, shivering slightly in the snow. Fox shuffled a smidge closer to his partner; now that he was standing still, the cold was able to penetrate a little deeper through his fur. “Hey, do you think we can…”

“One second, you have a just a bit of…here, let me get that.” The next second, he felt two gloved paws brushing his shoulders, gentle to the touch. “Snow,” Mungo finished with a dutiful smile. “Oh, there’s some on your head too.”

Fox found himself unconsciously leaning into his partner’s touch, into the ruffling of the fur between his ears that felt reminiscent of an affectionate headpat. What a far cry from their first meeting, he reflected, where the muscled hound had crunched his bones—er, hugged him hard enough to make his back sore. And here he was now, with a touch as tender and soft as a caress.

He could enjoy this. Would be even better if he could get a warm hug; Mungo gave _great_ hugs when he was being gentle—

“Hey, people walk here, you know! Why’re ya blocking the—oh, it’s just Fox and his K-9 buddy.” They heard him before they saw him, but after a brief pause Bino stepped into the limelight, dressed for the snow, nose wrinkled disdainfully. And _there_ went his good mood. “Am I disturbing _official_ police business? If you’ll just let me by…”

“Ah,” he heard his partner murmur, a note of recognition in his voice. He was surprised that Mungo, someone so thoughtful, knew someone as obnoxious as Bino, but what surprised him more was the surge of intense displeasure that welled up in his stomach upon confirming his guess at who it was. For a glimmer of a moment, too, he felt a strange urge to step in front of the hound, or back out of the conversation and simply continue on with their walk, but it passed on soon enough without action.

“Sorry,” Fox said, realizing and not really caring that he didn’t mean it. Crossing his arms, he continued, “We’re just going for a walk, no ‘police business’. Why are _you_ out here this late?” Maybe a bit aggressive, but lately he’d found his patience wearing thin after interactions with Bino, rare as they were these days. It just wasn’t worth being courteous when you received none of the kind in return.

Bino held up his paws in mock surrender. “No need to be so snappy! If you have to know, I’m on my way to Sabrina’s. Actually,” he put a finger to his chin, “do you know if my brother is there? You know, the cat-lover.”

“You mean Fido?” Mungo piped up. _No, don’t say anything more,_ Fox thought desperately, but the hound continued on, oblivious to his silent wish. “Of course he’s there; it’s his girlfriend’s house. But why do you say it like that?”

The question was so innocent, so simple. So easily avoided. Bino gave him a puzzled look, and then proceeded to shatter any illusion that this would be a civil discussion.

“Well, ‘cause that’s what he is. A _cat-lover_.”

Fox had a sickening feeling that he knew what direction this conversation was headed in. He didn’t dare spare a glance at Mungo’s reaction before barreling on in his place, hoping to get it over with before it reached a point they couldn’t come back from. “Yes, Fido was there. Now if you’ll excuse us, we can be on our way and—”

He’d been unconsciously scrabbling for his partner’s arm, or something to drag him away by force when Bino interrupted him. That, and Mungo was nigh _impossible_ to move by force. “What, don’t tell me you actually think that’s okay? That a dog,” the mutt grimaced, “likes a _cat?_ I mean, it’s just plain wrong.” Then Bino switched his gaze to Fox, as earnest as a pup asking for a treat, and added, “Fox, you understand, right? You hate it just as much as I do!”

In a single breath, his blood ran ice-hot. This wasn’t right. He was better than this. Mungo _had_ to know. He wasn’t some bigoted dog stuck on the wrong side of history, mired in outdated beliefs, destined to blindly tout another pet’s opinions.

That wasn’t him…right?

“No.” His voice was quiet, but strong, even surprising himself with how it held fast, unwavering. “I _don’t_ hate it, Bino. All they’ve done is—is love each other. Who _cares_ if they’re a cat and a dog, or if he kept it secret for so long—it’s ‘cause of pets like you that he _had_ to keep it a secret! And I’d rather side with _them_ over someone like you.”

His voice had risen through his tirade so that by the end, the last vestiges of his shouts faded into the night air. His breath came short and fast and his paws were clenched in tense fists. He wasn’t done, though.

It all came out; all the internal strife Bino had caused him through the years coming back now that the floodgates were open. “I’m _done_ with your…schemes, and all the things you pull around here. I can’t believe I was ever _loyal_ to you, when all you do is use people when they’re useful and then… _throw_ them away after!” In his mind’s eye, he saw Sasha, alone in the pouring rain. He drew in a shuddering breath, the fire in his limbs giving way to a sudden, powerful weariness. “Dog, I…”

Emboldened as he was by Bino’s awestruck expression, he didn’t have the heart to carry on, to voice all of the small dog’s shortcomings, even as he knew _everyone_ was aware of them. He felt his snarl loosen, a terrible expression he hadn’t even realized he was wearing.

To his credit, Bino looked undisturbed, even after being yelled at. He took off a mitten to adjust his green patterned hat nonchalantly. “You really have changed, Fox. I don’t expect you to understand, anyway. I’ll just…” he blinked, strained eyes for Fox only. “Be on my way. I’d say nice to see you, but…” The statement was left trailing in the air as the small dog stepped onto the road to pass them, still tail vanishing from Fox’s sight. He didn’t turn to watch him go.

The night was again silent.

“Fox…”

“I just ruined his night, didn’t I,” Fox said, voice hoarse. It wasn’t a question.

All he wanted to do was curl up in a ball and shut his eyes tight and _not think_. The brief interaction had left him feeling drained and lifeless; the thought of returning to the party _now_ made him blanch.

“Hey.” Mungo’s tone was gentler now, and a warm paw came to rest on his back, between his shoulder blades. “Are you okay? After that?”

Fox jerked away from the hound’s touch as soon as the paw on his back started rubbing comforting circles, feeling disgusted with himself. “Stop, I’m a horrible dog, I don’t deserve—”

“Fox!” Mungo positioned them so they were facing each other and knelt, eye levels meeting even as Fox looked away in shame. “I’m a therapy dog; I’m trained to recognize those in need. And right now,” he took Fox’s cold paws in his own warm ones; “you’re in need. _Never_ say you don’t deserve help, or love.”

“But what I just did—”

“What you just did was messy,” his partner gently interrupted. “And it sounds like both of you need time to work through your own issues before you can talk to each other again. Fox…” Mungo softly squeezed his paws. The gesture made Fox want to cry. “Remember what I said earlier. If you ever want someone to talk about things with, my ears are always open. Always.”

His resolve quickly crumbling, or what was left of it, at least, he shut his eyes to hide how wet they were. “But Fido and Sabrina. I used to…to…”

As he searched for the right words, hampered somewhat by the growing lump in his throat, he felt Mungo’s touch move from his paws to the sides of his shoulders, firm but tender.

“What’s done is done,” Mungo said firmly. “You can’t change the past, but you can do something about it right now. You can burn as many bridges as you want, but you can always fix them up after. You’re alright, partner.”

_Partner_. Fox opened his eyes to stare into his partner’s, met only with overflowing caring and a certain softness about the set of his black muzzle and lines around his eyes, stretched wide with concern.

_He cares._

And the tears fell as he finally stumbled forward, allowing Mungo to pull him into a warm hug. For a moment, wrapped safely in those strong arms, the knot in his stomach loosened and his worries retreated, still present but no longer as pressing.

All the while, the snow fell in lazy patterns around them, illuminated by the golden glow of the streetlamp.

Fox’s first thought was _I’m tired_. Sleep would do him good, he knew, but the prospect of his dark room, no matter how familiar, suddenly seemed dauntingly lonely. Nothing could be done about that, though. He lifted his head, drawing in the crystal cold air in a shuddering breath. Mungo met his gaze, smiling down at him.

“Feel any better?”

Despite himself, he felt himself smiling back. “Yeah. Thanks…partner.”

“Anytime, partner.” Mungo patted him on the back one last time and released him. Almost immediately, he found himself missing that warmth and closeness. “Let’s get you home now, yeah?”

“Wait,” he blurted out, hating how needy he was about to sound yet not able to resist the impulse to ask. “Can you…er, do you wanna come over? For the night?”

To his relief, Mungo’s expression brightened at the offer. “Of _course_ I’ll be your snuggle buddy, Fox! I thought you’d never ask!”

A quick blush matted his fur as he tried not to look embarrassed, casting about for a response to save his dignity. Mungo chuckled and rubbed his paws together in their mittens. “Don’t worry about it! I didn’t want to be alone on Christmas Eve, either.”

_No one deserves that_. Not even Bino, whose returning presence in Fox’s mind sobered him up quite well. Bino’s dominatrix-girlfriend lived in the same direction as Sabrina. Hopefully, the stout dog would have someone to cuddle with tonight too.

He allowed himself to smile, a glimmer of contentment coming to rest amidst the doubt and regret in his chest. It would all escape eventually, but for now…he had tonight. “Thanks, Mungo.”

“No problem, Fox.”

The walk home was light and peaceful. Mungo talked about how he always ended up moving in his sleep but he _swore_ he doesn’t snore, and Fox listened, content to watch the snow. Before long, they were home, and his room no longer felt so foreboding. It probably helped that he fell asleep with one of Mungo’s arms around him, warmth emanating from their bodies.

And the snow outside continued to fall, and the night wore on.

**Author's Note:**

> kinda glad for an excuse to write housepets fanfiction :) hope you enjoyed


End file.
